Why is Dragon Age Origins rated so highly ?

Basically, it's just a shift in opinion. There's no real quota for what is and isn't a good game (I wish there were, however). I love FFXIII, others positively hate it, and neither side is wrong. I've bought games that were rated highly and was disappointed (Fallout 3, Modern Warfare, Ico), and that's just me. I find those games to be not so good, others think the opposite. It's all cool.

[QUOTE="NatalataN"][QUOTE="locopatho"] Which scored lower, and the same, respectively, on PS3 compared to 360 :)locopatho

99% is a serious stretch, and when there is a difference, it's usually minimal. There are hundreds of multiplats that are the same on both. Exceptions to both sides is Dragon Age: Origins, Fallout 3, Bayonetta and a few others.

[QUOTE="Blue-Sky"]

High ratings + High sales should be enough to show that there is something to the game and it has a large following even if you don't particularly like it. I personally got tired of FFXIII because the voice acting was too melodramatic and the gameplay was non-stop fighting. But I can at least acknowledge its a good game even though I don't really like it.

VauxhalI

Sales don't really have anything to do with wheter or not it's a "good" game, rating don't matter either. It's a Bioware game, of course it's going to sell well. It's just unfortunate that Bioware has been making the same game over and over again for most of their existence. The only thing I can really say that I enjoyed in Dragon Age were the Origin stories, some of them were really well executed, the rest of the game was just... bleh.

Very true. The highest selling Wii game where I live was once "Alice in Wonderland" *cringe*

[QUOTE="NatalataN"][QUOTE="locopatho"] Which scored lower, and the same, respectively, on PS3 compared to 360 :)locopatho

Dragon Age Origin's presentation is strong. The game is strong graphically and has a solid story behind it... but the combat is severely lacking. The combat felt very hands off and the game was more about meticulously choosing class builds than actually playing the game. So I guess if spreadsheeting is your idea of an exciteable challange or you can survive on story alone this game is for you

Dragon Age Origin's presentation is strong. The game is strong graphically and has a solid story behind it... but the combat is severely lacking. The combat felt very hands off and the game was more about meticulously choosing class builds than actually playing the game. So I guess if spreadsheeting is your idea of an exciteable challange or you can survive on story alone this game is for you

MajorGamer531

I agree, but it's like that with most WRPGs (Bioware ones specifically). To me, the typical WRPG format is very limiting, and that's ironic because WRPGs are considered to be very open-ended.

[QUOTE="locopatho"][QUOTE="NatalataN"] FFXIIINatalataN

[QUOTE="NatalataN"][QUOTE="locopatho"] Orange Box and Overlord? Haha we can do this all day, PS3 gets the worst multiplat 99% of the time, deal with it :PMFDOOM1983

Pixel counts and frame rates are numbers. Actual visual appeal is subjective. For instance, I think Dead Space looks best on PS3 of all three systems.

[QUOTE="MFDOOM1983"]

[QUOTE="NatalataN"] bioshock 2, assassins creed 2, and a couple other new titles all better on PS3. imo of coursecalvinsora

Pixel counts and frame rates are numbers. Actual visual appeal is subjective. For instance, I think Dead Space looks best on PS3 of all three systems.

Backwards logic doesnt work here.;)

[QUOTE="calvinsora"]

[QUOTE="MFDOOM1983"] Assassin's creed 2 looks and runs worst on ps3. Fact:|

MFDOOM1983

Pixel counts and frame rates are numbers. Actual visual appeal is subjective. For instance, I think Dead Space looks best on PS3 of all three systems.

Backwards logic doesnt work here.;)

I'm not arguing here, I'm saying that I find that the game looks better on the PS3. It's an already decided opinion on my part that I judged fairly based on my aesthetic preferences. There are many games that I find look best on the PC and/or 360, but that's also an opinion. It's also for that reason that Crysis is not even on my top 10 graphics list.

[QUOTE="infamousxii"]Do you like other Western RPG's, seems like your only into JRPG.Megaman5364

It comes down to a difference of playing a pre-scripted character (JRPG) or playing your own character (WRPG), and which you prefer. But to answer your query more directly, what makes DAO so great is your personal involvelment with the story. There is a great deal of choices in each main quest which challenges your moral standing. The secret plot twists in the nature of the werewolves when trying to recruit the Dalish Elves, and the discovery of an ancient Dwarven artifact being just two prime examples.

And while it's true that the setting is founded on common fantasy archetypes, the quest is brought to life by a memorable cast of characters that follows you on the journey. Each is very fleshed out and Bioware crafts a strong sense of their reeality, that they actually had a life before they met you and weren't simply placed on the map at the convenient time to be your personal aids. They have a diverse repertoir of personalities, and through your personal interactions can form deep relationships with them, be that romance, friendship, or bonds of respect among fellow warriors.

It comes down to a difference of playing a pre-scripted character (JRPG) or playing your own character (WRPG), and which you prefer. But to answer your query more directly, what makes DAO so great is your personal involvelment with the story. There is a great deal of choices in each main quest which challenges your moral standing. The secret plot twists in the nature of the werewolves when trying to recruit the Dalish Elves, and the discovery of an ancient Dwarven artifact being just two prime examples.

And while it's true that the setting is founded on common fantasy archetypes, the quest is brought to life by a memorable cast of characters that follows you on the journey. Each is very fleshed out and Bioware crafts a strong sense of their reeality, that they actually had a life before they met you and weren't simply placed on the map at the convenient time to be your personal aids. They have a diverse repertoir of personalities, and through your personal interactions can form deep relationships with them, be that romance, friendship, or bonds of respect among fellow warriors.

AdobeArtist

Don't forget about the fantastic combat. ;)

[QUOTE="NatalataN"][QUOTE="locopatho"] Which scored lower, and the same, respectively, on PS3 compared to 360 :)locopatho

did you just pull that percentage outta your ass or is that a fact?

[QUOTE="locopatho"][QUOTE="NatalataN"] FFXIIILP4EVA2005

did you just pull that percentage outta your ass or is that a fact?

DA:O is probably one of my favorite games this generation,it was great throw back to the WRPGs I grew up playing. As many have noted, the combat doesn't mesh well with the modern gamer. This leads me to believe that the DA2 will probably have a more action focused gameplay to appeal to a newer crowd of gamers. :(

[QUOTE="CDUB316"]

[QUOTE="-Snooze-"]

Simply not your type of game. I often wonder how a lot of games scor what they do and get so much praise, games like Mario Galaxy are just beyond boring to me, how it scored over a 7 confounds me.

opinions?

not everyone likes fun games i guess, lol

Of course, opinion.

I just never thought an opinion would differ so greatly. I can honestly not think of one thing i like about Mario Galaxy. It's ugly, shallow, and just not fun ...

In my opinion of course.

DA:O is probably one of my favorite games this generation,it was great throw back to the WRPGs I grew up playing. As many have noted, the combat doesn't mesh well with the modern gamer. This leads me to believe that the DA2 will probably have a more action focused gameplay to appeal to a newer crowd of gamers. :(

UnknownSniper65

well your the opposite of me I felt it was a chore to play ff13 while I loved dragon age(i thought it would suck). Maybe you just don't like the limited control?

I mainly liked the characters and the combat. The dungeons were poorly paced and the setting/aesthetics were way too generic though. AAllxxjjnn

Wow I agree about the dungeons, I also didn't like the fact that the redcliff quest was a step up in difficulty if you didn't do the dungeons and get a little geared, get that womanand xp... I went there my first time and messed up my origin because I feld instead of fight because I could not for the life of me do that quest with my current squad (had no healer and I had limited potions)

[QUOTE="AAllxxjjnn"]I mainly liked the characters and the combat. The dungeons were poorly paced and the setting/aesthetics were way too generic though. Espada12

Wow I agree about the dungeons, I also didn't like the fact that the redcliff quest was a step up in difficulty if you didn't do the dungeons and get a little geared, get that womanand xp... I went there my first time and messed up my origin because I feld instead of fight because I could not for the life of me do that quest with my current squad (had no healer and I had limited potions)

I dont really know why it did either, I own the pc version and still it has several issues that cant be ignored.

1. The story is a straight rip-off of lord of the rings

2. The graphics suck

3. Its combat system is terribly outdated.

Its a playable game and not bad but its leagues below ME2 and the fact it got compareable scores makes no sense to me.

I dont really know why it did either, I own the pc version and still it has several issues that cant be ignored.

1. The story is a straight rip-off of lord of the rings

2. The graphics suck

3. Its combat system is terribly outdated.

Its a playable game and not bad but its leagues below ME2 and the fact it got compareable scores makes no sense to me.

TheSterls

1. Not really.. I don't feel like going through it right now but the story is definitely not like lord of the rings.

2. I agree, they need alot of work for DA2.

3. It's mean't to be like old school RPGs this is intentional.

Pixel counts and frame rates are numbers. Actual visual appeal is subjective. For instance, I think Dead Space looks best on PS3 of all three systems.

calvinsora

What:? Do you realize that Dead Space look the same on ps3 and 360, and on pc look much better and this is not an opinion. It is fact.

Consol version of Dead Space
1280x720
fps 30 (with drop from 30fps down to 20fps)
low resolution textures
no v-sync (as result torn frames and often-flickering lighting)
etc.


PC version of Dead Space
1920x1200
fps 250
high resolution textures
v-sync
etc.

I dont really know why it did either, I own the pc version and still it has several issues that cant be ignored.

1. The story is a straight rip-off of lord of the rings

2. The graphics suck

3. Its combat system is terribly outdated.

Its a playable game and not bad but its leagues below ME2 and the fact it got compareable scores makes no sense to me.

TheSterls

Why did you buy the game in the first place? these 'issues' are obvious if you read a review or preview. Also I'm not surprised many people found it boring, everyone I know myself have ridiculously short attention span and get bored easily, it's like the world has ADHD.... eh I need sleep.

I'm kinda bored with it so far, but I'm not too far into it.

Simply not your type of game. I often wonder how a lot of games scor what they do and get so much praise, games like Mario Galaxy are just beyond boring to me, how it scored over a 7 confounds me.

-Snooze-

wow mario galaxy is boring to you. wow just wow. that game is everything thats supposed to be fun about video games.

It's similar to other popular WRPGS? Personally I disliked the console version but I might have enjoyed it more on the PC.

[QUOTE="Espada12"]

[QUOTE="AAllxxjjnn"]I mainly liked the characters and the combat. The dungeons were poorly paced and the setting/aesthetics were way too generic though. AAllxxjjnn

Wow I agree about the dungeons, I also didn't like the fact that the redcliff quest was a step up in difficulty if you didn't do the dungeons and get a little geared, get that womanand xp... I went there my first time and messed up my origin because I feld instead of fight because I could not for the life of me do that quest with my current squad (had no healer and I had limited potions)

I also made the mistake of going to Redcliff too soon on my first play through. Not the very first quest I took after the world opens up to you after Lothering, but too soon to take it on successfully. Any player should do the faction recruitment quests first. The quest for the sacred ashes is also brutal if you're too low level to take on that boss cleric, but should still be done before going to redcliff.

But if you have the DLC, I found the best thing is to do the Stone Prisoner's quest first, followed by the Warden's Keep. Completing Stone Prisoner gets you the best helmet in the entire game. The defense stats aren't as important as its bonus effects of +2 to ALL attributes. That's like a free level up right there, and going to the Circle Tower is also a good quest to take on early, as it offers additional free attribute bonuses on top of any points you allocate to the levelling up. Seriously, if you explore thoroughly enough, EACH of your attributes can get a minimum of 3 bonus points, and some as much as 5, all in addition to levelling up.

the quality of the narrative, characters, gameplay and lore is more in that single WRPG, than any final fantasy you will ever play. except maybe ff 9

just sayin.

at any rate, it was a solid game, playing it on a console is a strugfest yes, but still playable.

it requires a lot of reading through the dialogue and the lore though, if you want the full experience, and combat is often very slow and methodical.

[QUOTE="calvinsora"]

Pixel counts and frame rates are numbers. Actual visual appeal is subjective. For instance, I think Dead Space looks best on PS3 of all three systems.

MK-Professor

What:? Do you realize that Dead Space look the same on ps3 and 360, and on pc look much better and this is not an opinion. It is fact.

Consol version of Dead Space
1280x720
fps 30 (with drop from 30fps down to 20fps)
low resolution textures
no v-sync (as result torn frames and often-flickering lighting)
etc.


PC version of Dead Space
1920x1200
fps 250
high resolution textures
v-sync
etc.

It is more technically proficient on the PC, yes, but I wasn't referring to that. I think the PS3 version LOOKS better. It's probably the only PS3 game that I think looks better on that system than on others, just to clarify that I'm not grasping at straws to defend a system. It's not fact when aesthetic qualities are still completely bound to personal experience. I think it looks better on the PS3, and it's a fact that that is my opinion.

Good game, but combat got terribly repetitive and tedious.

I dont really know why it did either, I own the pc version and still it has several issues that cant be ignored.

1. The story is a straight rip-off of lord of the rings -Lord of the Rings is often hailed as the pinnacle of Western Fantasy...Most storys from this genre have elements of Middle Earth's world. It isn't really a bad thing, the story was still well written and the Grey Wardens were largely an original concept. Also, the actual politics of the world in Dragon Age is much different than that of Lord of the Rings as well.

2. The graphics suck -The graphics looked fine on my PC

3. Its combat system is terribly outdated. -No it isn't, it is just a different form of gameplay that is completely lost on new generations of gamers.

Its a playable game and not bad but its leagues below ME2 and the fact it got compareable scores makes no sense to me.

I must admit before both games were released I was all about hyping ME2. After playing both games however, I feel that Dragon Age is the superior game. The storyline in Mass Effect 2 felt too limited. It didn't have anywhere near the complexity of choice that Dragon Age: Origins had. No matter what you did situations often ended up working out the same way. To top all of that off, they effectively down played every major decision you made in Mass Effect. As many people also complained about, the RPG element of the game has been completely trimmed down. The game is really beginning to approach the point of being story/choice driven action game. Which is fine, but as an RPG it simply doesn't stand up against Dragon Age.

TheSterls

[QUOTE="MK-Professor"]

[QUOTE="calvinsora"]

Pixel counts and frame rates are numbers. Actual visual appeal is subjective. For instance, I think Dead Space looks best on PS3 of all three systems.

calvinsora

What:? Do you realize that Dead Space look the same on ps3 and 360, and on pc look much better and this is not an opinion. It is fact.

Consol version of Dead Space
1280x720
fps 30 (with drop from 30fps down to 20fps)
low resolution textures
no v-sync (as result torn frames and often-flickering lighting)
etc.


PC version of Dead Space
1920x1200
fps 250
high resolution textures
v-sync
etc.

It is more technically proficient on the PC, yes, but I wasn't referring to that. I think the PS3 version LOOKS better. It's probably the only PS3 game that I think looks better on that system than on others, just to clarify that I'm not grasping at straws to defend a system. It's not fact when aesthetic qualities are still completely bound to personal experience. I think it looks better on the PS3, and it's a fact that that is my opinion.

ofcourse it is your opinion. But that doesn't change the fact that Dead Space look much better on pc.

[QUOTE="calvinsora"]

[QUOTE="MK-Professor"]

What:? Do you realize that Dead Space look the same on ps3 and 360, and on pc look much better and this is not an opinion. It is fact.

Consol version of Dead Space
1280x720
fps 30 (with drop from 30fps down to 20fps)
low resolution textures
no v-sync (as result torn frames and often-flickering lighting)
etc.


PC version of Dead Space
1920x1200
fps 250
high resolution textures
v-sync
etc.

MK-Professor

It is more technically proficient on the PC, yes, but I wasn't referring to that. I think the PS3 version LOOKS better. It's probably the only PS3 game that I think looks better on that system than on others, just to clarify that I'm not grasping at straws to defend a system. It's not fact when aesthetic qualities are still completely bound to personal experience. I think it looks better on the PS3, and it's a fact that that is my opinion.

ofcourse it is your opinion. But that doesn't change the fact that Dead Space look much better on pc.

You seem to be misconstruing my point, it runs better on PC, but doesn't look better on PC IMO. The reasoning is this: the definition of "running better" is already set in stone. However, what "looks better" is a subjective viewpoint that is judged by the preferences of any one given person. For instance, I think SMG2 looks better than RDR, despite RDR being technically more proficient and having higher, well, everything. It looks better to me, however, and there's no "fact" to be stated here. Many think one painting looks better than the other, even if one of them was created with more color and finer paint.

[QUOTE="MK-Professor"]

[QUOTE="calvinsora"]

It is more technically proficient on the PC, yes, but I wasn't referring to that. I think the PS3 version LOOKS better. It's probably the only PS3 game that I think looks better on that system than on others, just to clarify that I'm not grasping at straws to defend a system. It's not fact when aesthetic qualities are still completely bound to personal experience. I think it looks better on the PS3, and it's a fact that that is my opinion.

calvinsora

ofcourse it is your opinion. But that doesn't change the fact that Dead Space look much better on pc.

You seem to be misconstruing my point, it runs better on PC, but doesn't look better on PC IMO. The reasoning is this: the definition of "running better" is already set in stone. However, what "looks better" is a subjective viewpoint that is judged by the preferences of any one given person. For instance, I think SMG2 looks better than RDR, despite RDR being technically more proficient and having higher, well, everything. It looks better to me, however, and there's no "fact" to be stated here. Many think one painting looks better than the other, even if one of them was created with more color and finer paint.

Please stop the damage control and accept that the pc version look better.

Btw what do you mean preferences? You prefer to play a game with low everything (resolution, fps, textures, etc)?

I hated it with such a passion :)jg4xchamp

You clearly didn't allocate enough points to your Taste attribute during your Level Ups :P:P:P

Dragon Age is meant to be played on the PC.

At first I did not like the combat but I got used to it later.

I like how the characters interact with each other while you are walking around.

I sometimes just stand there and listen to them bicker.

Morrigan is a must to be in the party. She always stirs things up and makes interesting conversations.

The voice acting is well down for most characters and while the story is nothing new it is still well told.

There are many mods for the game and people are also creating their own stories.

Some people say player mods are not good but they can be very wrong.

While the texture looked a bit disgusting there is a PC mode to fix them.

You can also mode the characters to look the way you want.

I liked the mod which allowed you to always have the dog along + you and 3 other characters.

A screenshot of my game with some mods.

I tried so hard to like the game but I just cant! I owned the special edition on PS3, and then traded it and bought it on the PC. While the PC version is SO MUCH better, I keep getting to a point in the game where I just get bored of it. The combat is meh, the story is good but the way its told is ehhhh...the character models are horrible. The teeth are disgusting, the fingers dont bend...Just a lot of silly little things that add up to me. Also add the fact that there are about 2 decent head armors in the game (all the mage stuff is STUPID looking) and overall its just a mediocre game to me.

I tried so hard to like the game but I just cant! I owned the special edition on PS3, and then traded it and bought it on the PC. While the PC version is SO MUCH better, I keep getting to a point in the game where I just get bored of it. The combat is meh, the story is good but the way its told is ehhhh...the character models are horrible. The teeth are disgusting, the fingers dont bend...Just a lot of silly little things that add up to me. Also add the fact that there are about 2 decent head armors in the game (all the mage stuff is STUPID looking) and overall its just a mediocre game to me.

SRTtoZ

There is a white teeth mod for the PC.

And there will probably be armor mods too.